The Reluctant Queen
by Forgotten Pegasus
Summary: Elesarian is a small girl when her entire village is destroyed in the purging of the Blood, and she has a unsteady future, wary of all others.
1. Default Chapter

A young girl sat, shivering in the growing darkness. The land around her was open and desolate for many miles, and the likelihood that she had any chance of being found this night was slim, indeed. The little town, now empty, was near the edge of Arceria. A voice floated into the young girl's mind. _It's dangerous, in the land of the Arcerians, Elesarian. Don't fly near there, little one. _

The image of a woman, deep sadness in her eyes, appeared with the voice. Elesarian had to think before she could put a name with the face. _Mother. _She couldn't remember why her mother would be sad, but it had something to do with the whispers in the town, about her. What had they called her? Broke? Broken? The whispers were mean, cruel, and the other children taunted Elesarian. They called her a half-breed. The winged half-breed. Her mother always stood up for her, always protected her. She'd kept her safe, always muttering that they mustn't know she wore Sapphire as a birthright. That she should stay away from others. 

Her mother wasn't here now. No one was here. They'd left her. At least, she thought they had left her. That could be the only answer for them being gone and her still being there. It had been two dawns since the small girl had seen another person. Well, no matter what Mother had said, her only choice was Arceria. Elesarian looked resolutely in that direction, spread her wings, and took to the sky. 

She flew into the wilderness, snow expanses zooming by underneath. A feeling of exhilaration filled her as she dove, then rose, using a little bit of craft to keep herself steady. Flying was a joy; she was born to fly. She almost never was allowed to fly. She was the only one in the village who could fly; the only one who had wings. Even mother didn't have wings. Flying had become her solace, the one thing she could do that no one else could follow her. She would fly off, usually in the night, and flying allowed her to think, to be alone for once. 

However, after an hour of flying, she began to tire. She lost altitude, and even as she fought to keep herself upright, the flight became a steady downward glide. When her stamina gave out, she tumbled down from the sky, horror-filled. *Help!* She sent out, wildly, on a sapphire thread. The ground loomed, and the last thing she remembered was white. 


	2. Animal, Mineral, or Lettuce?

*It's some kind of large lettuce, that's my belief.* Two young Arcerians looked intently at the strange creature.  
  
The companion of the one who spoke disagreed. *It's an animal of some type. Maybe we should take it back to the den.*  
  
*Once again, you are completely out of your furry mind. What if it's dangerous? I don't think our mothers would be very happy.* Laeyl was the elder of the two, and quite often he took this as a way to act superior.  
  
*But it looks like a bald she-kitten.* Oryanae protested. *Maybe they will know what to do with it. At the very least, it could be dinner.*  
  
Elesarian thought she was dreaming the voices that seemed to be sent over an Opal thread. However, she roused enough to catch the last words. *Dinner!* The indignant side of her drove out all anger. *I am not dinner!* She glance up at the sources of the voices and nearly choked on her own words. While still young, these were _big_ cats. Uhhh.ut oh. She felt close to being sick. The cats, however, merely looked more puzzled. *It talks!* Oryanae exclaimed in glee. *Whoever heard of a talking lettuce?*  
  
*Okay, okay, it's not a lettuce.* Laeyl conceded. *Who and what are you?* He demanded of the thing, which was looking small and scared after its outburst.  
  
*I'm a. a girl. My name is Elesarian.* She mumbled. *My village is gone. I have no where to go.*  
  
*I was right. It's a she-kitten.* The smaller Arcerian crowed. *We should take her back to the den.*  
  
*I suppose.* Laeyl was hesitant, but he eventually gave in.  
  
~_~_~_~  
  
Elesarian was numb and confused, otherwise she might have protested a bit more as the two young Arcerians roughly dragged her off to what was apparently their den. The prospect of more and bigger felines was making Elesarian a bit ill.  
  
When they arrived, she was certainly glad for the warmth of the cave, but it was not echoed in her welcome. The young girl waited miserably while she listened to fast exchanges in what must have been the language of these big felines. All it sounded like to her was howls. Finally, one of the biggest came over and sniffed her.  
  
It was either shriek in fear, or pretend to be brave, so Elesarian raised her eyes and stared boldly back at the feline, who must have been the matriarch. She was a Queen, the girl noted with surprise.  
  
*A sapphire jeweled Eyrien Queen?* The female sounded both amused and wary. *What are you doing here?*  
  
*I was flying. and I fell.* Elesarian made her tone bold and defiant. *My village is gone.*  
  
*I don't know what to think. I must consult the others. Perhaps we will contact Kaelas at the Dark Court. Restrain the she-kitten.* She turned to go, and several large felines moved in with silent snarls.  
  
Elesarian gulped and watched them with growing dread. 


End file.
